St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-26
THEY STRETCHED HEMP
Harding, the Glendale Stage Robber, Goes
to His Fate at Dillon, Mont, With
Nerve.
An Execution at Beatrice, Neb., Which
Was Preceded by Some Remarkable
Circumstances.
A Precocious Youth at Eau CLAIRE
Under Arrest for Alleged Train
Wrecking.
The Wisconsin Legislature Hogs All
the Railway Passes There Were
in Sight.
Special to the Glohe.

Special to the Globe.
DILLON, Mont, March 25.-Early this
molning, Thomas FL. Harding, the con-
demned man, arose. After breakfast he
was closeted with his spiritual adviser.
Afterward Counsel Duffy had an interview
with him in regard to making statement.
Said Harding: Il am innocent of the
charge of which l stand convicted" The
counsel told him that he would soon be with
his creator, and asked if he had any state
ment to make in regard to the parties now
III jail as accessories. II don't know any
thing for or against them. They can hang
me fOr murder; that does not make muir
derer ont of me- He thanked his counsel
for all done for him. To a reporter Hard
ing said: Il rely on you to set Inc right
before the public" The only feeling the
condemned man showed was when asked if
he had any message to send his aged
mother. He burst into tears, saying: MY
past life has been good and CLEAR. 1t will
break her heart" From that time forward
Father DobS was constantly in attendance.
AT 2:19 the march to the gallows COM
menced, headed by Sheriff Jones. The
death warrant was read inside Of the prison.
Harding walked with
\ FIRM STEP
under the fatal moose, supported by his spir
tual adviser. in the presence of a selected
jury of twelve. the counsel and reporters.
Asked if he had anything to say,
he replied nothing" The sher-
if proceeded to bind him. While he
was being tied he SAID: BE careful, you
will throw me" and asked that his slippers
be taken off, which was done. He passed
some whispered remarks to the priest.
After completing the strapping, Sheriff
Jones proceeded to readjust the knot under
the condemned mans left ear. He COM
mented on the tightness of the rope and
Harding replied: 1t will be considerable
tighter in few minutes" Sheriff Jones
then told the prisoner that the time had
come and hoped that he would forgive ev-
erybody. Harding said: Il forgive every
body" He then kissed the cross which
was proffered him by the priest At 2:31
o'clock the rope was cut. The body shot
up into the air as the weight descended.
There was no struggle and soon all was
over. His neck was broken by the jerk
and death was painless. At 2:37 o'clock
Drs. Pickman and Leason pronounced life
extinct. A few minutes after the body was
cut down and prepared for burial. During
the entire time Harding was cool and col
lected, showing no emotion save flush on
ais pallid cheek as the moose was put over
his head. He died bravely. to the last pro-
testing his innocence of the crime.
THE CRIME.
Word was flashed over the wires May 22,
1856, that the stage Cor Glendale had left
Melrcse small station on the line of the
Utah s. Northern railroad, and after going a
short distance road agents had appeared and
ordered the driver, George Ferguson, to halt.
He did not stop and the robbers shot him dead.
He fell forward on the double trees, A pas
senger tried to hold him, but could not do so.
The robber then tried to grasp the mail sack,
but the passenger prevented him ana the
horses ran away. The robber who did the
shooting was dressed In light clothes and
wore light hat On receipt of the news
search was Immediately made for the assas-
sir by the authorities. While Sheriff Jones,
of Reaverhead county was ell route to the
scene of the tragedy he saw two men crossing
the railroad track, one of whom wore the
same style of clothes as the one who did the
shooting. They were some little distance off
when the sheriff ordered them to halt. They
rode off very rapidly TO the accompaniment
of rifle bullets from the officer Being on foot
there was no use in his attempting to follow
them and he proceeded up TO MelroSe. The
horsemen rode in the direction of Dillon, and
when in the lane about three miles from that
place they were met by Under Sheriff Murray
and Henry Bray. The
ORoER To HALT
upcomfortably close to Murray's head, while
the second shot str uck a few feet ahead of
them. The officers answered with three shots
in quick succession, which only seemed to in
ctease the speed with which the fugitives
were now flying down the lane, on the back
track. Murray was Oft his horse ut the time
and was watching the road, he having been
forced to ride poor animal for the want of
better ONE. on which de could not shoot,
and bY the time he was mounted again the
nj officers
them 10 the forks of the road, but were I'M
successful in the pursuit. Sheriff Sullivan
W ith a posse of officers on Thursday, May "a,
arrested Thomas Harding, an American, and
two Swedes by the name of Erickson and
Jansen as the probable robbers. The arrest
was made near the Bell Smelter at Butte.
The sheriff and posse had left Butte for the
scene OF the tragedy, having followed up Il
trail which led them up Birch creek. II was
found out that the men
ANSWERED THE DESCRIPTION
which had been furnished to the officers.
Sheriff Sullivan felt confident that he had
captured the right men. Mr. Merchant, who
had sat beside the driver at the time OF the
tragedy, had left for San Francisco. Sheriff
Jones and several other passengers arrived in
Butte the next day and all said that Harding
answered the assassin's description. and Mr..
EuStis identified the stolen horses which
Harding had ridden. 1t was determined to
hold the roDber and take him back to Dillon.
In the meantime Jansen and Erickson were
released, they proving an alibi. Sheriff
Jones, with heavy escort, landed his priS-
oner safel in the Dillon Jail. AT the fall
term of the court for the Second judicial dis
1rict of Montana Harding was tried, being
ably defended by Campbell Duffe', and
was found guilty Of murder in the first de-
gree, T. S. Merchant coming from California
to testify in the case and positively identify
ing the prisoner. All attempts to secure q
new trial failed In an interview just before
tue execution Harding asserted his innocence
PRECOClOUS YOUTH.
Fze is Believed TO Have Embark ed
in Life as n Wrecker of Trains.
Special to the Globe.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, March 25.-Withir
the past few weeks Wisconsin Central
trains have been thrown from the track,
about four miles from this city, three times
in succession at intervals of two or three
days by the turning of switch by parties
unknown. The repeated occurrence of this
has been a complete mystery to railroad
men and everybody else. The last time the
train went off there was a narrow escape
from serious accident. A watch was there
after kept on the switch night and day by
armed men. To-day at noon Wisconsin
Central train from Chippewa Falls wa.
tagged near Badger Mills by boy The
train was stopped. The boy said he haG
Just seen two men putting logs and piece:
of rails on the track. Charles RsIsmueber
of Chicago, detective in the employ of the
Central who was on the train and had beer
sent here to investigate these accidents,
MADE SEARCH.
Traces of distractions were found near by
hut no men were seen such as the boy haC
described. The boy was arrested on sus
oil annnQnfnn 70,